New Beginnings
by Cupcake Fairy
Summary: When Gwen's life falls apart she turns to Jack for comfort, but does anything develop from that? And when it looks like Gwen and Jack might be finally admitting their love, what comes along and tries to rip them apart?
1. Choice

**Okay, before I start I just want to say sorry to anyone reading this wondering what happened to my other fics. At the moment I've just lost all inspiration with Bones, but I do hope to continue them in the future. Second thing is, don't expect this to be regularly updated. I am taking my exams at the moment and will only write when I have the time and inspiration. Thirdly, enjoy!**

Gwen stifled a yawn, holding a loose fist to her mouth, while rummaging through her pockets with her other hand. Pulling out her keys, it took Gwen longer than usual to find the right one, place it in the keyhole and open the door. Her eyes kept blurring from tiredness, and she had no idea how she managed to drive and get home in one piece.

There was a meteor crash just outside Cardiff, something Gwen found infuriating. After all, they had all the shit that came out of the rift, why did they have to get the occasional meteor on top of all that? Nevertheless, the Torchwood team trudged up to the crash site, beating the army, and spent hours chipping away at it, collecting the meteor before the army arrived and lay claim. However, the work wasn't done. More hours were spent in the hub. Owen was running tests on some organic substance found, Tosh was scanning the rock to see if anything was inside it, Jack was trying to find out where it came from, Gwen was running tests on the rock itself, and Ianto was supplying his wonderfully strong coffee to everyone. Gwen didn't realize that night soon turned in to the wee hours of the morning until she felt Jack place a hand on her shoulder and persuaded her to go home, reassuring her that the team had everything until control. Bless them.

With this thought in mind, Gwen faltered on the doorstep, a wave of guilt hitting her. She was supposed to have had a romantic dinner with Rhys in the evening, but Torchwood once again pried her away. In the past he had been very understanding, but lately his temper was getting worse and she could see how much she was hurting him. Despite this, however, she secretly preferred to be slouched over her desk at Torchwood, Jack by her side, than having pointless arguments with Rhys. Another wave of guilt shot through her.

"Hello, Gwen." Gwen jumped at the cold voice that said her name, and she reached out to turn the light on with one hand while her other hand fluttered to her gun. When light flooded the small room, Gwen let out a small sigh of relief and gave a smile when she saw it was just Rhys sitting on the sofa with no alien threat. Gwen bounded over to him, but her feet slowed when she took in his hard and angry face, and the empty bottles of beer that surrounded him.

"Hey, Rhys," Gwen said cautiously with an apologetic smile on her face. Slowly joining him on the couch, Gwen noticed how Rhys shifted ever so slightly away from her. Pain coursed through her, but she tried to tame it; after all, she deserved it. "I'm really sorry, Rhys. There was an emergency. A meteor, didn't you see it? Anyway, Jack phoned and I had-"

"You didn't have to go anywhere, Gwen! You could have refused!" Rhys suddenly shouted, throwing down the bottle he was currently cradling in his hand and leaping to his feet. For a moment Gwen shrank in to the back of the sofa; she had never seen him this angry, or this drunk. "We were supposed to have a night together for once! But of course Jack phoned and you run off with him!" Rhys screeched, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

Gwen's fear didn't last long. Of course it was still there, in the back of her mind, cautioning her to be careful, but Rhys' anger spread to her, and before she knew it, she was on her feet facing him, her finger jabbing at his chest. "Don't you dare talk to me like that!" Gwen yelled, not appreciating Rhys shouting at her, despite the fact that she probably deserved it. "I was doing my job! Keeping people safe!"

"I've been thinking about that," Rhys said, his voice suddenly quiet and cold. This voice scared Gwen more than the shouting, and she had no idea what he was talking about so she raised her eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest. Rhys continued, "You always say that you're job is important but what about us? Aren't we important?" Gwen opened her mouth to retaliate, but Rhys held up his hand, wanting to finish. "I can't live like this anymore, Gwen. I never know when I'll see you next, and I never know if you'll be dead or not when I do." Gwen flinched at this but Rhys carried on, "You need to decide. Me or Torchwood?"

For a long moment Gwen just stood frozen in shock, her eyes wide and rapidly blinking. Did he seriously just ask her to choose between her job and her relationship? She loved Rhys so much, but lately she did notice them growing distant, but would that stop if she quit Torchwood? But how could she quit Torchwood? They would have to retcon her, and how was she supposed to willingly forget all her experiences and friends? Forget Jack? With Torchwood she was saving people's lives every day and without her, Torchwood would be missing its heart. Really, there was no choice, and Gwen hated it.

"Rhys, please don't make me choose," Gwen begged, dropping her eyes to the carpet. She wanted them both in her life, but if she had to decide she would pick Torchwood and she didn't want to let go of Rhys and admit that he came second in her life.

"Sorry, Gwen, but it is either Torchwood or me. You can't have both anymore." Gwen's eyes flickered up to his face and it was hard and confident. He thought that she would pick him and that broke her heart. Her eyes started leaking but she refused to sob. Suddenly Rhys' hands shot out and grabbed the top of Gwen's arms and started shaking her. "Gwen!" Rhys screamed at her.

Taken by surprise, Gwen forcefully pushed him away and obviously surprised him with her strength. He stumbled back and rage filled his features and before either of them knew what he was doing, he raised his face and harshly slapped Gwen across the face. "My God... Gwen, I'm sorry..." Rhys muttered apologetically, stumbling forward, his arms raised. But there was no way Gwen was letting him touch her again. Now she couldn't stop the sobs as they racked her body, making her arms shake as she quickly whipped out her gun, holding it to Rhys' chest. Suddenly she stopped and raised his hands slowly. Of course there was no way she would ever shoot him, but if it was the only way to keep him away from her then so be it.

Sprinting to the bedroom Gwen grabbed the duffel back and suitcase that the kept under the bed. She made sure to lock the bedroom door behind her before Rhys caught up to her and started packing all the clothes her hands touched, ignoring Rhys' apologies and his fists pounding on the door. Filling the bags to their capacity, Gwen stood up and faced the door for a long moment before unlocking it and stepping out.

"Gwen!" Rhys said in relief, thinking that she had come back out to talk to her but then his eyes found the suitcase and bag in her hands and his face crumpled. "No... Gwen... Please..." Rhys said between gasps, his own tears starting. But Gwen ignored them, just like he ignored her tears. Her chest ached, her face stung and her eyes were blurred from the continuous flow of tears, but still Gwen pushed past Rhys silently, her decision already made.

When she reached the doorstep she turned around to face him and said in an emotionless voice, "I'm come back tomorrow when you're gone and get the rest of my things." She realized that he would stay in the flat until she arrived but she could always bring Jack as moral support. Turning her back on him, Gwen was about to step out of the door when something else flittered across her mind. "Oh," Gwen said in a matter-of-fact voice, "I choose Torchwood." Her voice cracked on the last word as she broke down again, but she still walked out of the flat confidently, never once looking back.


	2. Embrace

Tugging open the passenger side door of her car, Gwen flung her suitcase and duffel bag violently on the seat before slamming the door shut and running round to the other side. She had to be quick, for two reasons actually. The first one being that if she didn't drive away now Rhys would catch up and she didn't want that to happen. The second reason was if she paused, even for a second, and let her thoughts and emotions take over, she would be lying on the floor weeping, and she definitely didn't want Rhys to find her like that, so she had to leave. But where could she go? Of course there was only one place she wanted to go, one person she wanted to see. Starting the engine, Gwen slammed her foot down and the car screeched away.

However, things didn't go exactly to plan. Driving at night was easy, too easy. There was hardly any traffic and Gwen found her mind floating back to the flat and the argument; a forbidden area. Before she knew it, Gwen was clutching the steering wheel with one hand, the other one quickly wiping the tears that formed. But no matter how many tears she wiped away, more tears replaced them and before she even drove down two streets, Gwen swerved in to a parking space and stomped on the brake. She should not be driving like this. She was bound to hurt someone.

Reaching for her bags, Gwen slowly got out of the car and locked it, deciding that she would return in the morning when she wasn't in such distress. But would she ever feel better? Would she ever recover? Pushing these daunting thoughts out of her mind Gwen started a determined walk. One advantage of walking was that she would have more time to herself before she reached Torchwood, and she hoped that when she did reach the hub her tears would have stopped and she no longer felt the urge to suddenly stop and curl up in to a ball. One of the things that kept her walking was the fact that she would see the smiling face of Jack at the end of her journey.

The journey wasn't long enough. Soon she was standing in front of the water tower and sobs still ripped from her chest and tears still poured from her eyes. She had to keep moving. Maybe if she walked along the bay for a bit the sea breeze would sooth her. As she walked away she hoped that nobody had seen her on the security cameras, but everyone was probably too busy with the meteor to notice a small crying Gwen on a silent computer screen.

An hour later she was back in the same spot, watching the water tower. She couldn't put it off any longer. She realized that she would feel the intense pain for a long time still, no matter how far she walked. The only consolation was that her eyes had run dry of tears and the sobs that racked her body had quieted down.

Taking a deep breath, Gwen walked toward the little tourist shop that hid Torchwood's main entrance. Of course it was locked and there was no sign of life so Gwen pulled out her keys and rummaged through them until she found the right one. _Déjà vu_, Gwen thought bitterly as she pushed open the door, locked it behind her and pressed the button under the desk that opened the entrance to Torchwood.

As she walked along the corridor and entered the lift, she hoped that everyone wouldn't start questioning her. All she needed was to be the centre of attention for her to break down again. She wouldn't do that in front of everyone. She would walk in there and pretend like everything was normal. Gripping both bags in one hand, Gwen pulled her hair forward so that shadows fell across her eyes, hiding the fact that she had cried recently. The action made her hand brush against her cheek and the slight pressure made Gwen squirm in pain. Gwen forgot about that and now she was probably sporting a very lovely bruise across her cheek. As the lift doors opened she only hoped that her hair would hide the mark as well.

For a moment she stood still, gathering up her courage. She would not break down in front of them. She was strong. Taking a deep breath, Gwen walked forward and in to the Torchwood hub, keeping her head down. Peeking up from under her fringe she saw everyone was still here. This image sent a pang of guilt through Gwen. Maybe if she stayed to work like everyone else this wouldn't have happened. Rhys would have been sober and asleep when she arrived. But she couldn't fool herself. This was bound to happen eventually. Rhys was getting angrier and angrier recently; Gwen knew it had only been a matter of time.

Jack was standing on the balcony, overlooking his team work. His eyes darted to the entrance when he saw the cog door turn out of the corner of his eyes. At first he frowned. After all he told her to go home. But then he looked at her, properly looked at her. She kept her head down, something Gwen never did, and she was silent; another first. There was something wrong, seriously wrong.

"I thought I told you to go home," Jack shouted down, leaning forward and placing his hands on the railing. Gwen looked up involuntarily and instantly regretted it, quickly lowering her gaze. But Jack had already seen her tear-soaked and battered face and now the rest of the team started to look at her, Jack's call alerting them to Gwen's entrance.

"Well I felt guilty for leaving you all here to work. If I'm here we'll get things done quicker and everyone can go... home sooner." God, she sounded horrible. She cleared her throat quickly before she had to speak again and she hoped nobody heard her pained delay on the word home.

Jack nodded silently, still recovering from seeing Gwen's full face. His grip tightened on the bar for a second and he wished that it was Rhys' neck he was throttling instead. Jack was sure this was Rhys' fault. By the looks of it, Gwen had been crying, a lot. And, although he couldn't be sure from this distance, it looked like she had a bruise forming on her cheek. Quickly she bent down, depositing two bags he hadn't noticed before at her feet, and rushed to her work station, eagerly stroking the computer keys, wanting to get in to her work and forget all about Rhys.

The team continued to look at Gwen, their gazes flickering to each other's worried faces every now and then. They all picked up on the fact that something was wrong with Gwen but nobody knew how to approach her when she basically threw herself in to her work. Jack descending the stairs quickly, earning a sigh of relief from his team before they returned to work, knowing Jack was the best thing for Gwen right now. Nevertheless, they still glanced at their friend with worried and sad expressions, wanting to know how to comfort her obvious pain.

Gwen jumped slightly as she felt two warm hands rest on her shoulders. She didn't hear him approach but she knew exactly who it was. If she looked round at him now, if she looked at his soft smile and understanding eyes, she would break down. She knew it would happen eventually, she knew she needed to think about it, talk about it, but she still pushed back the memories, her fingers rapidly typing as she ignored Jack's presence.

"Gwen," Jack said gently. Her fingers stopped and hovered above her keyboard, trembling slightly. Jack could feel Gwen tense underneath him as she tried to hold back all her emotions. "Please, Gwen. Speak to me." With that Gwen suddenly spun her chair round and dived in to Jack's waiting embrace. He wrapped his arms around her, comforting and warming her because she felt freezing. But soon he pulled away slowly, wanting to confirm his suspicions about her cheek. Of course she tried to hide from him, but he kept his grip on her chin so he could inspect her face. Instantly his features hardened and his blue eyes burnt with anger. "Did Rhys do this?" Jack whispered harshly. Gwen neither shook her head nor nodded, but it was clear to Jack that he was right. Despite what he had done to her, Gwen still loved Rhys and she knew about Jack's temper. She didn't want Rhys to get hurt. But at the same time she knew there would be more questions if she denied Rhys' involvement.

"Jack, please don't do anything," Gwen choked, her grip on his shirt tightened. Seeing Gwen in so much pain, so much distress, and so obviously needing him, made him enclose her in a hug once more, determined to comfort her before he did anything else. Silently they stayed like that for a long time, unaware that the other members of the team silently went home, giving them privacy.


	3. Hot Chocolate

**First of all, I just want to say thank you for all the lovely reviews! They really mean a lot to me! I have an exam tomorrow (wish me luck!) but after that I'm free for the next of the week. I hope you enjoy this chapter; it is a bit longer than usual.**

For a long time Gwen clutched on to Jack for support, but slowly her grip loosened and her sobs died down. When at last she had run dry she pulled away slowly, wiping her face with the back of her hands, ignoring Jack's growl when she touched her bruise and winced. Shyly Gwen glanced up at Jack, embarrassed at her sudden emotional breakdown. She noticed that Jack now had a huge patch of his shirt which was soaked with tears and smeared with mascara. "Oh, crap! Look at your shirt! I'm sorry!" Gwen croaked before clearing her throat and blushing ever so slightly. However Jack just laughed.

"Don't worry about it, Gwen," Jack soothed her, one arm still wound around her body protectively, "Come on. Let's go in to my office." Gwen nodded silently, allowing Jack to help her up and to guide her towards his office. Her legs felt weak and she had a huge headache for weeping all night. Quickly she glanced around the Hub, hoping she wouldn't need to explain things to the rest of the team, when she noticed they were alone. Gwen blinked in surprise before turning to Jack.

"Where did everyone do?" Gwen asked, craning her head around to check if the whole Hub was empty. It definitely seemed like it. When did they leave? How long was she crying in to Jack's chest? She felt Jack's body shrug from where he supported her.

"Not sure. Must have gone home." Usually jack would have been angry at his team for leaving a job unfinished, but today he understood why they had disappeared and he appreciated it. When they reached his office he guided Gwen toward the sofa before clapping his hands together. "Right!" Jack said, "Coffee? Tea? Hot chocolate?" Jack was determined to get a hot drink in to her. She felt freezing when he held her.

Gwen smiled timidly as she thought before answering quietly, "Hot chocolate?" Her mother always used to make her hot chocolate with the little marshmallows floating in the top when she had been upset or simply had a bad day at school. When she was really young, Gwen sometimes used to cry on purpose so she could get some of her mother's Heavenly hot chocolate.

Jack rushed off instantly not happy to leave Gwen by herself but wanting her to have a hot drink. When he returned, carrying two mugs in his hand, he found her with her legs tucked up to her chests, her arms wrapped around them as she lay her head back against the wall behind her with her eyes closed. For a second Jack faltered in the doorway, smiling softly as he admired the sight. Then Gwen's head shot up, as though she sensed his presence, and Jack walked towards her grinning, holding out one mug.

"Thanks," Gwen mumbled as she took the mug and drank greedily. Jack found himself watching her again as she gulped down the drink before letting a soft smile flitter across her lips, her eyes unfocused as though she was thinking about something from her past. Jack almost asked her what she was thinking about but resisted it; after all, he never told her anything about his past, even when she asked.

"What happened?" Jack asked gently, knowing the best thing for Gwen was to talk about what happened and then leave it behind her. At his question she glanced down at her knees and chewed her bottom lip, her brow furrowed as she thought. Jack let her mull over her thoughts and he turned to his desk where he put down his mug before unbuttoning his shirt and discarding it on the floor. He had just put a new shirt on, the buttons were still open, when Gwen looked up, ready to answer his question.

However she had not been prepared to see Jack's bare chest and when she opened her mouth to speak, nothing came out. Her eyes drifted from his face and on to his chest without even realizing it, and she sat like that until she heard Jack chuckle which broke the spell. Immediately she dropped her eyes to the floor and blushed, which increased when Jack asked jokingly, "Like what you see?"

Of course the answer was yes. Gwen was screaming it inside her head. In fact, ever since she met Jack, she would find herself staring at him at the most random moments and admiring him. She had known for a while now that she had fallen in love with Jack. Of course she denied it, always thinking of Rhys, but now she didn't have to think of Rhys and she wondered if jack felt the same. Sometimes she would catch him looking at her, or he would brush up against her while they worked. Should she tell him? Should she admit to her feelings?

Instead of confessing about her love for Jack, Gwen just smirked when she looked back up at him, he had now fastened his buttons which she was happy about because it meant she wouldn't lose her train of thought again, and rolled her eyes. "Meh, I've seen better," Gwen said jokingly as she shrugged her shoulders. Jack pouted before sitting next to her and putting his arm around her shoulders.

"You wound my pride," Jack joked, giving her shoulders a light squeeze. God, it felt good to be holding her. No, it was more than that. It felt _right_. Jack couldn't really describe how he felt when he was around Gwen but he realized that it was a lot like how he felt with Estelle; it felt a lot like love. But how could he love her? He had built up so many defences, not wanting to love someone again and watch them grow old and die without him. But here he was, _knowing_ that he loved Gwen but too afraid to admit it, even to himself. Turning back to Gwen, he noticed how her eyes were distant as though thinking about something, and how she chewed her lip, showing her distress. "Do you want to talk about it?" Jack asked gently, squeezing her shoulders again. "I think you should. It will help. Trust me."

"I trust you, Jack," Gwen sighed before burying her face in to her hands and mumbling her story against her palms, "I came home and Rhys was still up. He... He had been drinking." She could feel the tears starting up again, but this time she absolutely refused to cry, after all it didn't do her any good, but then again, it was easier said than done. "We started arguing, we've been arguing a lot recently, and when I didn't answer him he... he shook me so I pushed him away. Then he... then..." She couldn't actually bring herself to say that Rhys had slapped her as tears suddenly started to flow again. Gwen glanced up at Jack and judging by his expression Gwen guessed that Jack understood what happened so she moved on. "I packed the first things I found and then came here."

Gwen started to sob quietly, despite her promise not to cry, and Jack silently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body in to a hug. Instantly she responded by wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in to his shoulder. Despite the fact that she was sobbing because she had just broken up with her husband after he slapped her, Gwen felt warm, safe and basically happy in Jack's strong embrace. She felt his lips against the top of her head followed by him whispered, "I'm sorry."

Quickly Gwen sat up, her eyes wide, so she could look in to Jack's face. Gwen couldn't believe it when she saw sorrow and _guilt_ in his features. "Why the hell are you apologizing?" Gwen asked. After all, if it was anybody's fault it was her fault; she had been the one who put the strain on the relationship which caused Rhys to snap. It was all her fault.

"Because," Jack explained, "I always told you to keep things balanced and to stay in your relationship with Rhys without realizing how unhappy you were. If it wasn't for my nagging you might have broke up with him ages ago and he wouldn't have hit you." Jack hesitantly raised his hand and gently brushed her bruised cheek before dropping it back in to his lap.

"Hey," Gwen said forcefully, raising her hand to rest it on Jack's cheek so that he looked at her, "This is not your fault. Right?" Jack chuckled lowly and nodded before falling silent. Gwen just realized that she was touching his face which was very close to her own. Jack seemed to have the same thought and the two of them just sat there and stared in to each other's eyes, both of them willing to find the courage to lean forward and kiss the other. Jack seemed to inch forward only slightly just as Gwen dropped her hand from his face and she instantly regretted it.

"So," Jack said, clearing his throat, "What are you going to do now?" Jack remembered Gwen carrying her bags in to the Hub and he wondered if she had already sorted out where she was staying. He wondered if she would stay with him if she didn't have any arrangements, and he remembered Gwen asking him if he ever got lonely at night when she first joined. He didn't answer her because the answer was yes and he didn't want to admit it.

Gwen shrugged, looking down at the floor. To be honest, she had no idea. "I guess I'll go to the nearest hotel now and then ask if I can crash on a friend's sofa." After that she had no plan. She knew that one of her friends had a spare room which she had slept in before when she had small arguments with Rhys, but how would she feel about a permanent resident? But before she had to put some serious thought in to it, Jack came to her rescue

"You could always just stay here," Jack offered, "I have a bed which I hardly use and I guess we could both use the company." Gwen looked hopefully. It would be so much easier to stay here and she constantly craved Jack's presence to sooth her. It was true that they both needed the company after the ordeal with Rhys and Jack and Ianto agreeing to stop seeing each other.

"Really?" Gwen asked, still not believing her luck. When Jack nodded with his famous grin plastered on to his face, Gwen jumped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Gwen babbled, pulling back from Jack so she could look in to his face when she spoke, "That is a load of my mind." Gwen smiled soft and said sincerely, "Thank you, Jack."

"Least I can do," Jack said, rising to his feet. "The bedroom is just down there." Jack pointed to a little manhole to the side of his desk. "You head down and I'll get your bags," jack offered, already heading to the door. Gwen smiled and muttered her thanks before heading down the ladder where Jack indicated. Pausing in the doorway Jack watched her disappear before quickly going to retrieve her belongings.

Gwen's first impression of Jack's room was that it was bare. The bed had a simple and dull duvet on, and the only other furniture in the room was a mirror and two sets of drawers as well as a wardrobe. Then her eyes started growing accustomed to the light and Gwen realizing this room told her more about Jack than anything else. There was little ornaments dotted around the room, cluttered together on top of the drawers and on the few shelves. But they were different from the alien artefacts he kept in his office, these were personal. Gwen was just inspecting a photo frame which had a black and white photo of a woman underneath the glass as well as a pressed flower.

"Elizabeth." Gwen jumped at Jack's voice, not hearing him climb down the ladder. She spun around and gave him a confused look until he explained himself, stepping closer and dumping her two bags on top of the bed. "That's Elizabeth," Jack said, pointing at the photo, "She was my best friend's sister and she gave me that flower when I headed off to war. When I returned she was dead." Jack looked sadly down at the photo before quickly changing the subject, not wanting to dwell on his past. "Do you want another drink? You're freezing."

"Please," Gwen said with her arms wrapped tightly around herself in an effort to keep warm. She turned to her bags when Jack leapt up the ladder and fished out her pyjamas which consisted of shorts and a tank top. Quickly she got changed, not wanting Jack to walk in on her half naked, and silently chuckled to herself as she imagined how that would play out. God, she would be so embarrassed, but it would be worth it if she saw Jack falter in shock immediately followed by him checking her out. Wait. What was she thinking?

Gwen was glad when Jack came down the ladder because he distracted her from her own embarrassing thoughts and simply because it was Jack. He was her comfort blanket and she yearned for his reassuring touch and words. "Thanks," Gwen said taking the mug and taking a big gulp. "Jack..." Gwen began, nervously gripping the mug with both hands and not meeting his gaze. "Never mind," Gwen said quickly, turning around and sitting down on the bed.

A moment later she felt Jack sit down next to her and throw his arm over her shoulders, pulling her body in to his. "Gwen?" Jack asked, but she was still silent. She was just being stupid and Jack would probably laugh at her. "Gwen, please. What is it?" He spoke with such gentleness in his voice that Gwen looked up in to his anxious eyes. She realized then that Jack cared for her a lot, but was that it? Gwen hoped not.

"Well," Gwen said, giving in to Jack's pleading face, "I was wondering if... if you would stay with me? Please?" Jack blinked in surprise and then suddenly started to laugh warmly, causing Gwen to look up at him in hurt confusion.

"Was that it? Of course I'll stay with you," Jack said simply. He stood up, walked around to the other side of the bed and pulled back the blanket. "I would do anything for you." The sincerity of his voice and face made Gwen's heart thud dramatically before she smiled softly and whispered her thank you. She climbed in to bed next to him and jack pressed his wrist strap to switch off the lights.

"Thank you," Gwen whispered and then let out a content sigh as jack wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her in to his chest so her back was against his front. Even though it was already morning and she had just broken up with her husband after he hit her, Gwen had the best night sleep she had had in a long time.


	4. Kisses

**Excited about the chapter title? :P **

Gwen woke up with a smile on her face. For a long time she lay still, her eyes still closed, and she couldn't remember why she was so content. But then as sleep left her, her senses came to her. First she realized that the bed she was lying in was much more comfortable than her own. Then she noticed _his_ smell. Jack's sweet scent engulfed her and made her grin even wider. Now that she was concentrating, she could hear the faint beeping and whirling of machinery she had only heard in one place in her whole life. The Hub. Of course. Gwen mentally smacked herself as she stretched out her limbs before opening her eyes and turning over, only to find the bed empty. She sat up so suddenly that it made her dizzy, but Gwen ignored it as her eyes raked over the empty room and then focused her hearing on to the world above. Nothing. Where had he gone?

Disheartened, Gwen pushed back the duvet and shivered when the cold air hit her. She would have to remember to tell Jack he needed to crank up the heating a bit. Stumbling over to where she had dumped her bags, Gwen tried to block out her thoughts of where Jack could be, and tried to concentrate on finding an outfit. It took her quite a while realizing in her haste to escape her flat she had grabbed the closest clothes she could find. Most of them turned out to be the discarded dirty ones she had left on the bedroom floor, and she even had one of Rhys' shirts which she hurriedly pushed back in to her bag, pushing down her emotions with it. The clothes that were clean were mostly inappropriate for work, and she giggled to herself as she imagined running after aliens in the skirt she now held up. Impossible.

Finally Gwen did find a suitable outfit, and once she was changed she pulled her fingers through her hair and subconsciously ran her tongue over her teeth, realizing she had forgotten a hairbrush and toothbrush. She sighed sadly because this meant she would have to go back to the flat and confront Rhys sooner rather than later. Gwen thought about leaving straight away, that way she could get it over with and when she returned Jack would hopefully be back. But then again she had hoped to bring Jack along with her as moral support. But was that such a good idea? She had witnessed Jack's temper before and she knew he was angry about Rhys hitting her. However, before she decided anything, Gwen heard the sirens that meant the cog door had been opened, and she smiled to herself, hoping that it was Jack.

Gwen had just scrambled up the ladder in to Jack's office when the man himself walked through the doorway. His face lit up in a grin when he spotted Gwen. "Morning. Sleep well?" Jack asked and Gwen opened her mouth to answer but a yawn replaced it so she just nodded her head, holding her hand to her mouth, causing Jack to chuckle. Gwen looked down at Jack's left hand where he was holding what looked like a brown paper bag. Gwen raised an eyebrow and Jack followed her gaze. "Oh," Jack said as though he just remembered he was holding it, "I went out and bought you some breakfast. Being me I technically don't need to eat – Actually I only do it out of habit. Anyways, I usually only eat when you guys get a pizza or something, or we got out for lunch so this place isn't really stocked up. I guess we'll need to get some things in," Jack rambled, deep in thought, probably thinking about what Gwen would need that he usually does without.

A wave of appreciation and thanks swept over Gwen at Jack's thoughtfulness. To an outsider he might look tough and daunting, but to Gwen he was sweet and caring, and she finally had to admit to herself: she loved him. Walking forward with a bright grin Gwen took the brown paper bag. "Thanks," Gwen said, although she wasn't just thanking him for breakfast. She was thanking him for everything; thanking him for supporting and comforting her, giving her a place to stay, and simply being so thoughtful. Without thinking about it she leaned forward and pecked him on the lips. It was much like the kiss she had given him when he caught the sex-mad alien and stopped it from going inside of her. A kiss to show how deeply grateful she was. But this kiss was different. For one thing they were a lot closer now, and although neither of them admitted it to each other, they both knew that the other cared for them to a certain extent. Gwen also felt the same pleasurable tingle when her lips met his that she ignored last time, thinking of Rhys. But now she didn't need to think of Rhys and all her thoughts were centred directly on Jack.

It seemed that both were equally surprised. Their faces mirrored their shocked as Gwen pulled away and they just looked in to each other's wide eyes for a moment. It was Jack who recovered first. His famous grin flittered across her face, lighting up his features, and he wrapped one arm around Gwen's waist while his other hand gently caressed Gwen faces. "Now that is something I want to wake up more often to," Jack whispered before his lips crashed down on to Gwen's waiting mouth. At first their kiss was slow and tender, each of them pouring their feelings in to the kiss, and in that moment they both knew that they loved each other. But that kiss didn't last for long as their passion bubbled to the surface, and soon they were locked in a fiery and deep kiss, pressing their bodies closer to each other. Tongue danced with tongue, and teeth played with lips.

Gwen broke the kiss, pulling away and gasping for breath. "Maybe you will," Gwen said with a smile in response to what Jack whispered to her before they locked lips. Jack smiled cheekily at her before descending on her lips once more. Again their passion raged and Jack backed Gwen up so she was sitting on his desk and he was standing in between her legs which slowly wound tightly around his waist. Jack was just sliding his hand up Gwen's thigh when they heard someone approaching the office, and they jumped apart.

"Sir, UNIT have sent some repo-" Ianto was looking down at the files he carried in his hands as he entered the office, and just looked up in time to see Jack and Gwen break their kiss and jump apart. Immediately he faltered, in speech and stride, and his eyes widened enormously. "Oh, God! I'm so sorry! Um... Shit..." This reminded Gwen so much of the time when she walked in to Jack's office to find her boss' and Ianto's naked bodies entwined as they kissed, that she had to laugh. It felt good to laugh after so much despair. She covered her mouth with her hand and tried to mutter her apologies but nothing came out except more giggles. Obviously Jack and Ianto were remembering the same thing because they exchanged a glance before laughing themselves. "I'll just leave these on your desk, sir," Ianto said, dropping the files on Jack's desk before retreating with a smirk. Immediately Jack wrapped his arms around Gwen again and sighed.

"I guess this means we need to get to work. The others will be arriving soon," Jack said with a grim smile, almost cheered up by the fact that Gwen looked so disappointed too. "Of course, we can always continue this tonight." Jack winked at her and Gwen couldn't help but smile. She never imagined that this would happen; that they would act upon the obvious feelings they felt for each other. Rhys had always been in the way but now that he was gone, they were free to have a relationship. Gwen had to admit that her silver lining was good.

"Actually..." Gwen started, her mouth twisting downward in to a frown. At first Jack's heart stopped. He thought that Gwen was having second thoughts about them, so when she spoke again Jack let out a sigh of relief. "I need to go to the flat quickly and get the rest of my things. Is that alright?" Jack nodded, but with a tight smile. He knew that she needed to get her things, but he hated the idea of her facing Rhys. Jack was about to volunteer to come along with her when Gwen asked, "I was wondering... Would you come with me please?"

"Of course," Jack said, grinning. He broke their embrace but kept her hand firmly in his, not that there was a chance Gwen might attempt to break his hold. Together they walked out of the office and towards the cog door. When they passed Ianto he glanced up at them, a confused look on his face and Jack explained, "We're just going out for a while. We'll be back shortly." Ianto nodded and returned to his work, a smirk plastered on his face. Obviously he couldn't wait until Tosh and Owen came in to work so he could spread the gossip, but at that moment, Jack couldn't care because he was walking hand in hand with the most beautiful woman in the universe he had dreamt about for months.


	5. Driving

**Hey, everyone. Sorry for disappearing, but I did warn you. One more exam left and then I'm free so expect for regular updates. (Hopefully.)**

Gwen pushed open the tourist shop door, smiling gently at the twinkling bell, and lifted her face to the morning sun. She must look like Hell. After all, she had been crying all night, her face was bruised, she was wearing clothes she hurried folded in to a worn duffel bag, and she didn't go to sleep until the wee hours of the morning. Despite this Gwen looked out in to the harbour with hope in her eyes. Hope for the future. Hope for a future with Jack. The man himself followed closely behind her, taking her hand that he was forced to drop when exited the fake shop. For a moment he looked at Gwen's features glowing in the morning sun and felt encouraged. Gwen was a mess when she came back in to the Hub, but after spending some time with him she looked... hopeful. Maybe, just maybe, he could help her to put Rhys behind her and to finally make her happy. Jack reluctantly peeled his eyes away from Gwen's face when they reached the small car park and frowned when he saw it was empty except from Ianto's car. "Where's your car?" Jack asked, looking down at Gwen again.

For a moment Gwen stared blankly at the nearly deserted car park, but then the memory clicked in her head and her eyes were clouded with sadness. "Oh," Gwen mumbled, remembering how she was swerving everywhere, unable to drive straight with a pain piercing her chest and tears flooding her eyes. "I was having trouble driving. I had to stop. It's only a couple of streets away." Gwen bit down on her lip, forcing her tears back. Even though she was happy overall with how things turned out, it still hurt her to think of the failed relationship she now had with Rhys. They had been so happy and he had been her first love. Despite having Jack Gwen knew she would never forget Rhys and she would always feel pain remembering what they once shared.

Seeing her distress, Jack dropped her hand and slung her arm over her shoulders, pulling her body close to his, desperately trying to give her comfort. He could see that she was trying to fight tears and so he changed the subject, talking gently in to her hair. "Come on then. We can pick it up on the way there." Gwen nodded silently, swallowing her tears, and they started walking quickly. When they reached the car, Jack glanced at Gwen nervously. She mentioned that she had trouble driving because of her distress and Jack could see that Gwen was obviously still in pain, though not as much as last night. Still, he asked cautiously, "Want me to drive?"

Gwen looked up and smiled at Jack. For a moment she considered letting him take the keys so she could curl up in the passenger seat and close her eyes for some brief moments of sleep. But she knew she couldn't wallow in her pain otherwise it would just eat at her and change her until she was constantly depressed and bitter. She had to move on. She had to be strong. "Thanks, but I can drive," Gwen said forcefully, wanting to prove to herself that she was the strong person Jack had grown to know and love. She missed the proud expression that flashed across Jack's face just before she climbed in to the car, but smiled to herself all the same, feeling the same pride Jack did for herself.

It didn't take long to get to Gwen's, no Rhys', flat in the car, and when she pulled up, Gwen sighed happily to herself, happy with her driving. Then she glanced out of the window and her stomach twisted in pain and fear as her gaze fell on her old flat where Rhys lay in wait. The flat held so many good memories of Gwen's life. It is like the flat was home to a different Gwen. A happier Gwen who lived in simpler times. A Gwen who worked in the police and who was planning a baby with her husband. That was what her life would have been like if it wasn't for Torchwood. But, even though that life may sound better to some, Gwen wouldn't have it any other way. Life with Torchwood might be hard, but like Suzie said: How can you even think about another job, another life, after Torchwood? It is impossible.

Jack watched Gwen's internal battle silently with guilt in his eyes. The passenger side, where he was sitting, was the side which was closest to the pavement and flat, so when Gwen turned to stare at the flat, Jack could see the frightfulness in Gwen's eyes, making her look like a scared little girl who was on her own. But Gwen wasn't on her own, and Jack vowed to always be there for her. He wouldn't abandon her like he did with Estelle just because he was hurting. He knew he would probably regret the decision later in life, and he knew that he should stop his relationship with Gwen growing in to something intimate, but he still reached across and placed his hand gently on her leg, jolting her out of her thoughts. "You ready?" Jack prompted wanting this to be over as quickly as possible.

Gwen visibly gulped before taking in a deep and steadying breath. Her eyes flickered to the flat once more before returning to Jack. "Let's get this over with," Gwen sighed, stiffly getting out of the car. Jack watched as she straightened herself and looked at the flat again, but this time she had a strange sort of determination in her eye, and with further delay, Gwen strode forward, swinging open the door, and disappeared up the stairs on the other side, leaving Jack to follow behind in awe.


	6. Author's Note

Author's Note

Hey, everyone. I'm so sorry about how long I've left this story just hanging. Unfortunately, I can't see myself picking it up in the near future. At the moment it is a dead story, and so after a few days I'm going to delete it.

This does not mean that it will never appear again. Maybe in the future I will gain some inspiration and enthusiasm for it and repost it. But in the meantime, I am sorry and thanks to all who reviewed – It really does mean a lot.


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